The Olongapo Volunteers was a former professional basketball team in the Metropolitan Basketball Association

Metropolitan Basketball Association

The Metropolitan Basketball Association or Metroball was a professional basketball league in the Philippines founded in 1998.The MBA overtook the Philippine Basketball Association's plans on regionalization when the league adopted a home-and-away format where teams, instead of representing...

 in 2002. The Volunteers enjoyed success in their only season in the league, making the semifinals of the tournament.

History

In 2002, the Olongapo Volunteers became the eighth member of the MBA after the departure of the Nueva Ecija Patriots

Nueva Ecija Patriots

The Nueva Ecija Patriots was a former professional basketball team in the now-defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association from 1999–2001. 2002 PBA MVP Willie Miller was familiar for his initial years with the team when he played for the Patriots from 1999-2000...

. The team was managed by Mayor Katherine Gordon and later, by Senator Richard Gordon

Richard Gordon (politician)

Richard "Dick" Juico Gordon is a Filipino politician and broadcaster who currently serves as the chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross....

.

Junel Baculi, who steered Hapee Toothpaste and Welcoat

Welcoat Dragons

The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association owned by the Asian Coatings Philippines, Inc. that debuted in the league in the 2006-07 PBA season. From 1996-2006, it was a member of the semi-professional Philippine Basketball League,...

 to PBL titles was hired as the head coach and nabbed several former PBA veterans such as Johnadel Cardel, Joel Dualan, Henry Fernandez as well as former PBL veterans Eugene Tan, Kerwin McCoy, Brixter Encarnacion and Calijohn Orfecio. Fil-am Jeff Flowers was also signed by the expansion ballclub.

In the MBA First Conference, Olongapo held the best record in the Northern Conference with a 7-3 record, and a home game in the semifinals against the Batangas Blades

Batangas Blades

The Batangas Blades is a former professional basketball team of the now-defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association from 1998-2002....

. However, the Blades escaped with a 76-75 victory to advance to the championship round against the eventual champions the Negros Slashers

Negros Slashers

The Negros Slashers also known as the RCPI-Negros Slashers was a former professional basketball team in the Metropolitan Basketball Association from 1998 to 2002. The team enjoyed considerable success, winning the MBA National Championship in 2002, the last season of the said league...

.

Olongapo was renamed as the Gilbey's-Olongapo Volunteers, but the league folded in the middle of the second conference.

Notable players

• Jeff Flowers
• Eugene Tan
• Brixter Encarnacion
• Johnadel Cardel
• Jerome Barbosa
• Topex Robinson
  Topex Robinson
  Michael Christoper Robinson is a former Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. He was drafted forty-fourth overall by the Tanduay Rhum Masters.- Player Profile :Robinson is a solid and a defensive point guard...
  
  
• Allen Glenn Patrimonio
• Calijohn Ofrecio
• Joel Dualan
• Kerwin McCoy
• Julius Binuya
• Ferdinand Go
• Henry Fernandez
• Bob Allen
• Ricky Vinoya